SKILFUL BLOG

Everything you need to be a great manager

For a really productive and insightful interview, you need to be able to open people up and get to really know them so you can make an informed, rational and fair decision. If all you have is a list of ‘clever’ questions, then you won’t get the best out of

Fisher and Ury wrote the seminal book on negotiation. Sure, there’s been lots written since, but this is the one we keep going back to. So why is their approach so good? Well, it provides a model, clear guidelines, and these will help you plan your negotiation, and help you

If you need to have a difficult conversation and tackle an issue it’s best to have it as early as possible and handle it professionally. Put it off and the chances are that frustrations will leak out anyway, just in different (and probably unproductive) ways! Here are the steps to prepare

Poor personal hygiene in the workplace is difficult to deal with and can be embarrassing to tackle. You may have tried subtle hints hoping to avoid confronting the issue, but failed. So how do you actually tell someone they smell? Here is a short video with three approaches!

People rarely turn up for a presentation looking to be entertained, they want to be informed, to learn something. So, the better you structure, and the more you practice, the more successful your presentation will be. Think about the three things you really want people to take away from your

People often think that extraverts make the best public speakers or deliver the most memorable presentations as they’re full of energy and confidence. But introverts make great public speakers too, as often the emphasis is less about them as individuals and more about the message they’re delivering. Extraverts draw

Wrong! It’s a common myth that presentations should start with a joke to get people warmed up and engaged. But what to you want to get them engaged with? A joke that could go wrong or backfire? Are you comfortable telling jokes? Before you even think about a joke, be

Nervous and in a panic before presenting? Then pin point exactly what’s causing the nerves. You may have several concerns but you need to focus on one thing at a time, or you’ll become overwhelmed. Identify each element you are nervous about, here are some common fears: Forgetting what to

This is a common concern, especially for new managers and this wasn’t something you’d probably had to think about before you became a manager. The key here is that any under performance should be dealt with early on. Never assume or just hope the team member will get better over

This is a tricky one as you want to show some genuine empathy for your team member but there are some basic things you really should do. Here’s a quick five-point checklist that will keep you on the right track and show real professional management (without making your team member